Tallmadge Charter Township

Tallmadge has no separate STR classification. Whether a whole-home short-term rental is permitted on a given parcel turns on the zoning district plus whether the use functions as a ‘dwelling unit’ (allowed in residential districts) or as a lodging operation. Owner-occupied bed-and-breakfast use is regulated separately under Section 3.04 of the Zoning Ordinance and requires special-use approval ^[2].

The township has these zoning districts: AG (Agricultural), RP (Rural Preserve), R-1 (Single Family Residential), R-2 (Medium Density Residential), R-3 (Multiple Family), R-4 (Mobile Home), L (Village of Lamont), plus business and industrial districts. For any specific property, verify the district on the zoning map below and confirm STR/lodging permission in writing with the Zoning Administrator before acquisition or listing.

Click the map to open the full PDF.

Owner-occupied bed-and-breakfast use is the one lodging path Tallmadge’s Zoning Ordinance directly authorizes, subject to special-use approval and the conditions in Section 3.04 ^[2]:

• Operation must be clearly incidental to the principal residence; no more than 25% of the dwelling’s floor area used for B&B sleeping rooms.
• The dwelling must be the operator’s principal residence; the operator must live on-site while the B&B is in operation.
• At least two exits to the outdoors. Sleeping rooms minimum 100 sq ft for two occupants, plus 30 sq ft per additional occupant, maxing at four occupants per room. Smoke detector in each sleeping room.
• Off-street parking: one space per B&B bedroom, none in the front-yard setback, oriented to minimize street exposure.
• Well and septic system must be approved by Ottawa County Department of Public Health ^[4].
• Food service is limited to overnight B&B guests only.

A non-owner-occupied whole-home STR does not fit this B&B framework. For that scenario, ask the Zoning Administrator how Tallmadge currently treats the use.

Tallmadge does not operate a short-term rental registration or licensing program. There is no township STR application form, no annual STR permit, and no public STR portal. Operators have two compliance touchpoints to confirm before listing:

• Zoning verification. Email zoning@tallmadge.com with the parcel number/address and intended STR use; ask for written confirmation that the use is permitted in that district (or, if a Special Use Permit is required, an application packet) ^[5].
• If the property is on private septic/well, an Ottawa County Time of Sale Real Estate Transfer Evaluation must be completed before any change of ownership ^[4]. STR-specific septic inspections may also be required at the county level when triggered by local ordinance, though Tallmadge has not enacted such a trigger.

Michigan’s state Use Tax (6%) applies to all rentals under 30 days and is collected at the platform/operator level rather than by the township ^[9].

There is no township STR registration fee. Cost exposure for a Tallmadge STR comes from the special-use permit path (if required by zoning), zoning enforcement, and county/state fees, not from a recurring local rental license ^[5].

Civil-infraction fines are set by the township’s Municipal Civil Infractions Ordinance, used to enforce zoning, nuisance, and trash rules.

Tallmadge does not perform routine rental inspections. Construction, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits for a rental property are handled by Professional Code Inspectors (PCI), the third-party agency that has administered building code enforcement in Tallmadge since September 2013 ^[6]. Building applications go to the Tallmadge office first for zoning review; PCI handles inspections after permit issuance.

The 2024 International Property Maintenance Code Ordinance, adopted by the Township, sets the minimum habitability standard for all dwellings rented or occupied in Tallmadge ^[3]. Smoke detectors are required in every sleeping room of any B&B operation ^[2]. Pools, when present, must comply with Section 3.28 of the Zoning Ordinance (fencing and barrier requirements).

Even though there is no STR-specific operating ordinance, every rental in Tallmadge must comply with the General Ordinances book, which the township uses to enforce neighbor-impact issues ^[3]:

• Nuisance Ordinance (Restatement 2010) — covers loud or disturbing conduct, accumulated debris, and other nuisances on residential property.
• Restated Trash, Grass, Weed, and Nonoperating Vehicle Ordinance (2015) — trash storage, weed/grass heights, and nonoperating vehicles in residential yards.
• Dangerous Animal Regulation Ordinance (1999) — control of dangerous animals; landlord obligations where applicable.
• Fireworks — governed by Michigan’s Fireworks Safety Act as adopted by the township (see General Ordinances book).
• Outdoor lighting (Zoning Sec. 3.22) and signage (zoning ordinance signs chapter) apply to any advertising of the rental property.

Violations are enforced as municipal civil infractions via the Zoning Ordinance Complaint Form ^[5].

Tallmadge has been active on the zoning side over the last two years but has not introduced an STR-specific regulation as of May 2026. Recent and pending zoning text/map amendments visible on the Township home page include ^[1]:

• 2025-2026 Master Plan update — open-house results and survey results were presented to the Planning Commission in February 2026, signaling possible future land-use changes that could affect lodging permissions.
• Section 3.36 Non-Motorized Pathways — second reading adopted August 2025.
• Mineral & Mining Ordinance — second reading February 2025.
• Zoning Text Amendment – Permitted Uses — second reading January 2025.
• Keeping of Animals / Farm Animals — second reading adopted October 2025.
• Multiple rezone requests in 2025-2026 — Hardin, Persenaire, Peterson, Vriesema, Zemaitis (Linden).

Investor takeaway: The absence of an STR ordinance today is not a guarantee of permanent permissiveness. Tallmadge’s neighbors in Ottawa County (Park, Holland, Spring Lake) have all moved on rental rules in the past 36 months. Confirm STR status in writing at acquisition and re-confirm annually.